Planning Commission
|

Council Boosts Planning Commission Salaries; First Increase Since 1990

Summary

  • The City Council approved first reading of an ordinance to increase the compensation of Planning Commission members at the Council’s July 14, 2025 meeting.
  • The proposed increase would raise the salaries for Planning Commission members from $100 per month to $250 per month, and for the Planning Commission Chair from $150 per month to $300 per month. Planning Commission compensation will be reviewed every five years, so again in 2030.
  • The Council will finalize this change at its August 11, 2025 meeting, with the salary increases scheduled to take effect on September 1.

Background

Planning Commission Chair Andrea Caumont and Commission members sent a letter to the City Council on April 24, 2025, asking that the Council consider increasing the compensation provided to commissioners for their service to the City.

Planning Commission Chair Andrea Caumont
Planning Commission Chair Andrea Caumont

Under the City’s Charter, that service includes studying and recommending changes to the City’s Comprehensive Plan and reviewing many types of development applications to ensure consistency with that plan. In addition, the commission annually recommends a five-year Capital Improvements Program (CIP) for key investments in City parks, infrastructure, and roadways that are called for in the Comprehensive Plan. The Planning Commission also makes recommendations to the City Council on the preservation of historical landmarks, and the design of public bridges, street fixtures, and other public structures.

For their work, the commissioners currently receive a monthly stipend of $100, while the vice chair earns a stipend of $125 and the chair is given $150. These amounts have remained the same since 1990.

“We understand that the City Council will be reviewing its own compensation in the coming months,” Ms. Caumont wrote. “As part of this broader discussion, we hope the Council will also take this opportunity to review the compensation of the Planning Commission.” [For more information, see Update: City Council Approves 50% Increase in Salaries Starting FY2027, June 17, 2025.]

Staff proposal

The City’s Planning Department researched what other jurisdictions ask of their planning commissions and how they compensate them. The staff report provides the following information:

Planning Commission Compensation by Locality
LocalityPopulationPlanning Commission
Town of Herndon24,339$250/month
City of Fairfax*26,340$40/meeting
Town of Leesburg*
^COLA increases annually		48,908$637.50/month – Chair
$612/month – Member
Town of Vienna*16,329$215/month – Chair
$182/month -Member
City of Falls Church15,034$150/month – Chair
$100/month – Member
City of Manassas42,708$0
Town of Purcellville*9,040$150/month
Arlington County*234,162$0
City of Alexandria155,230$0
Fairfax County*1.142 M$25,000/yr

*2023 population data 

Source: Table 1 in the City staff report

Planning Commission Responsibilities by Locality
LocalityPlanning Commission Responsibilities
Town of HerndonRecommendations to Town Council on, Special Exceptions, Zoning Map Amendments, Comprehensive Plan Amendments, Zoning Ordinance Amendments, and Capital Improvements Programs
City of FairfaxRecommendations to City Council on development project conformance with Comprehensive Plan, Requests for Rezonings, Amendments to Zoning Ordinance Amendments, Capital Improvement Programs, Special Studies
Town of LeesburgRecommendations to Town Council on Zoning Ordinance Amendments, Rezonings, Special Exceptions, Commission Permits. The Authority to Employ staff and consultants for special studies.
Town of ViennaRecommendations to Town Council on Comprehensive Plan Amendments, rezoning requests, final plats, and other planning and zoning matters.
City of ManassasRecommendations to City Council on, Special Exceptions, Comprehensive Plan Amendments, Zoning Ordinance Amendments, and Public Utilities improvements
Town of PurcellvilleRecommendations to Town Council on Zoning Map Amendments, Comprehensive Plan Amendments.

Source: Table 2 in the City staff report

Council’s response

Following a City Council work session and discussion on July 7, the City’s planning staff settled on the following proposal for increasing Falls Church Planning Commission compensation. Senior Planner Jeff Hollern noted that Virginia state code “allows local governing bodies to provide appropriate compensation for planning commission members.” Accordingly, on behalf of the staff, he recommended that:

  • Commissioner salaries be increased to $250 per month, with the Planning Commission chair receiving $300 per month, effective September 1, 2025.
  • Planning Commission compensation be reviewed every five years, so next in 2030.

This proposal raises commissioner salaries from a total of $9,000 annually to $21,600 for a yearly net increase of $12,600.

The Council voted unanimously to approve this ordinance on first reading, and will take up the matter for a public hearing and final vote at its August 11, 2025 meeting.

In comments during the Council’s July 7 work session, Mayor Letty Hardi said she thought what the City asks of its Planning Commission in terms of “frequency of meetings and complexity of the work” should have a greater bearing on compensation than population.

During the work session, Council Member Erin Flynn also acknowledged that, “The decision of Council to [approve] Council increases basically necessitates the Planning Commission increases,” while appreciating the degree to which the Council relies on the Planning Commission and “the important judgment they provide to us.”

Council Member David Snyder further requested that the final ordinance “note the extraordinary responsibility the Planning Commission is given under our Charter.”

References

Similar Posts